How Many Chances?
by The Cotton Candy Kisses
Summary: [OneShot] Another KirstinSandy JimmyJulie JimmyKirstin story, but with some different twists on how the couples met, and how Kirstin and Jimmy broke up. R&R Rating to be safe


**One-Shot. About how Kirstin and Sandy and Jimmy and Julie got together, but with a different take.**

Kirstin woke up to the smell of Jimmy's alcohol ridden breath in her face. She winced, and slid out of her bed and Jimmy's arms. Last night was graduation, and everyone, even the people who said they would never touch a beer, got hammered. Especially Kirstin. She could barely remember last night, except that she had sex with Jimmy. Again. And that she had a lot to drink.

Kirstin took a long, hot shower, and snuggled into her 100 cotton robe. When she stepped back into her bedroom, Jimmy was still asleep, his hair sticking up at odd angles. She sighed, as she got dressed. Jimmy was what she was supposed to be attracted to, right? Sweet, funny, handsome, and rich. Jimmy was perfect, except Kirstin didn't like him. She used to, a few years ago, when they first started going out in sophomore year. And by the time their two-year anniversary hit, Kirstin just didn't feel like getting out of the relationship. It was so comfortable. And if she did dump Jimmy, everyone would look at her like she belonged in a straightjacket, because of course, Jimmy was perfect.

The blonde eighteen year old walked down the marble-floored hallway, feeling like the only person that existed in the world. Her father was at work already, and her mother and Hailey had probably already gone out, shopping and eating. They were so alike; it disturbed Kirstin, and made her feel like an outsider in her own family.

Jimmy woke up to an empty bed. Of course. Kirstin couldn't stand just lying around. Probably she had gotten up before dawn. Hopefully not to cook. Jimmy stood up, fishing around for his blue polo shirt, pulling it over his head and his boxers on his legs as he straggled down the hallway. He wasn't worried anyone would see him- Kirstin's family was never around. He would feel safe walking around naked in this place.

Kirstin sipped her coffee gingerly, trying not to move too much. Her head was killing her. She heard Jimmy walking down the hallway, but didn't bother to look up as he walked in and poured himself some coffee. He sat down across from her, smiling.

"Last night was crazy, huh? Who would have guessed that the great Kirstin Nichol would have gotten so drunk she danced on a table-" Jimmy began, laughing as Kirstin looked up sharply.

"I did _what_? Oh my god! Why didn't you stop me Jimmy?" She asked furiously. Jimmy just laughed, and Kirstin glared at him. She knew it wasn't really his fault but if felt good to blame someone. She stood up, still boiling in her anger, and gathered Jimmy's things from her room. When she came back downstairs, she threw them at him.

"Please leave, Jimmy. Don't make me call my dad's thugs and tell them you are stalking me." She said coldly. Jimmy looked beyond surprised, but he quickly pulled on the rest of the clothes she threw at him and hurried out, grabbing his keys from the front hall table and driving off. Kirstin sighed, knowing she had probably freaked him out a little more than he deserved, but maybe he would assume they were broken up. Thank god!

x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0

Over the next few summer months, Kirstin totally ignored Jimmy- his calls, his visits, his romantic gestures. Apparently he thought they were still in a relationship- even though they talked about twice in three months. Too bad.

Kirstin finished packing her life into cardboard boxes, and sat down on her barren bed. She was getting an apartment near Berkley- her father insisted after seeing the dorm rooms. Not good enough for his little girl. Kirstin had complained that her job wouldn't get enough money to afford an apartment and immediately Caleb decided to pay rent for the next 48 months in advance. Sometimes it was nice to have money.

The drive to the airport was sorrowful. Her little sister was openly weeping, as was her mom, but Caleb didn't even drop a tear. Not that anyone expected him to. Kirstin waved them off, carrying the three bags she could bring on the plane (the rest was being shipped off).

The rest of her stuff awaited Kirstin at her new apartment. She unpacked as best she could; she hated having boxes just lying around. In just two days she had everything set up and working- and Kirstin admitted her father was right, she was quite efficient.

In three days Kirstin had her first class. It was in the morning- unfortunately, because the afternoon classes were full of not-morning people. It was a required class, and absolutely no help for her Art History major.

About three weeks into the semester, at twelve, Kirstin walked into a McDonalds, just getting a large fry and a diet coke, and sitting down to finish her paper. A few tables away what looked like another Berkley student studied a worn law textbook. He was handsome. Kirstin thought of Jimmy for a second, slaving away at UCLA, and thought that it was about time she moved on and be brave. She threw away the remainder of her fries and coke, and took her textbook and sat across from the man.

"Hello, I'm Kirstin. Do you go to Berkley?" She said, trying to hide her shaking hands. Jimmy had been her only boyfriend, and though she was good at warding off advances, she wasn't so good making them.

Sandy was just beginning to understand what the old textbook was trying to explain when he felt someone sit down across from him. He looked up, angry at the distraction, to see a pretty blonde woman sitting across from him. She said something- something about her name, Kirstin, such a pretty name, and did he go to Berkley? But he was too hypnotized by her beauty to even figure out what to say. After what felt like an eternity but was really only a few seconds, he recovered.

"I'm Sandy. That's my name; I'm not actually sandy because there aren't really any nice beaches around here to get sandy at and even if there were I- um. Anyways, yes. I do go to Berkley." He managed to stammer out.

x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0

The rest was (sort of) history. They went on one date, then another. Soon they were going steady by high school standards. So during February break, Kirstin took him to her home turf: The O.C. And the fact that Jimmy was going to be there didn't affect her decision at all. Maybe a little bit. Especially since he still thought they were going out. He wrote her frequently, and sometimes she wrote back, writing mundane facts about her life, which just seemed to spurn him on. Kirstin thought it might be nice to show him that yes, they were broken up, ever since the day after graduation. Not nice, really, but healthy. It wasn't healthy for him to think he was still in a relationship when he wasn't.

So on the seventeenth of February, Sandy and Kirstin flew down to California, booked a room in a hotel called the Sea Monkey or the Sea Lady or something (Kirstin was afraid of introducing the Bronx-born law student to her parents, so she lied and said they were out of town that week. Sandy seemed to catch the hint and willingly went to a hotel). Then they went to the beach, Sandy awkwardly carrying a blue surfboard under his arm. He had told her about how he learned to surf his 12th summer from his washed out, drugged up Uncle Sam who he stayed with for three months when his mother was especially busy in Social Works and the like.

Kirstin sat down on the shore, burying her pedicure-afflicted toes into the sand as Sandy paddled out, watching the waves lap up before him. It was so peaceful- the sun still rising above the horizon, the far off call of seagulls, the desolate beach. All of a sudden she felt someone standing behind her. She turned around to see Jimmy, all smiles, dragging her to her feet and leaning in for a kiss. Kirstin quickly turned it into a hug. Jimmy didn't seem to be fazed, and soon he was talking, the words washing over her.

"Kirstin, I know this has been a weird year for us, being out of contact a lot, and I know you aren't very sure of the stability of our relationship, but, I love you. And I hope that you still love me because if you don't I'm going to feel very stupid in a moment…" Jimmy slowly lowered to one knee and took out a diamond ring. "Kirstin, will you marry me?"

Kirstin felt the uncontrollable urge to laugh, especially since she felt Sandy slide up next to her, putting his arm around her almost possessively, but his tone was jovial.

"Kirstin, do random guys propose to you on the beach all the time?" He laughed easily, but Kirstin could hear the nervous twinge.

Jimmy stood up in shock. "Who are you?" He asked rudely, sliding the ring into his pocket.

Sandy offered his hand. "I'm Sandy Cohen, Kirstin's boyfriend. Nice to meet you." Jimmy looked like he was dying. Kirstin looked away, burying her face in Sandy's shoulder, not caring that she could practically hear Jimmy's heart breaking.

Slowly Jimmy shook Sandy's hand. "J-Jimmy. Is my name. Jimmy Cooper. I… well, I thought… I was Kirstin's boyfriend until a few seconds ago. Kirstin, can I talk to you. Alone?" But Kirstin didn't want to talk to Jimmy alone because Jimmy was unbelievably able to charm his way out of any situation and she was afraid she was going to end up with Jimmy tonight, when she really loved Sandy. Which she had told him, four weeks ago, and he had responded with a resounding, "I love you, too." When she told Jimmy she loved him in the summer before junior year, he had stammered for a few seconds and then fallen silent. Finally he said he loved her back, but completely unconvincingly.

"No, Jimmy." She replied at last, clutching onto the back of Sandy's t-shirt, which he had just thrown on. Jimmy glanced at Sandy uncertainly, and then started talking.

"What happened, Kirstin? We never broke up! I thought… we were waiting for each other! I thought… I mean you weren't exactly bubbling with phone calls… I thought you were busy or something… Do you know how many girls I turned down for you and you've been screwing this…" He didn't finish his sentence, and Kirstin couldn't tell if it was because of tears or rage.

"The day after graduation. It was over then. And it had been over all senior year, I was just afraid to say it." Kirstin said softly. She heard Jimmy make some sort of growling noise, and then stomp off.

He paused a few feet away, and yelled, "So I guess that's a no-you-won't-marry me?" Kirstin didn't answer. This time he assumed correctly.

x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0

Jimmy was extremely drunk. He drove around aimlessly, when suddenly he felt the car stop. He groaned as he remembered the mechanic telling him he better get the wheel replaced within the day, or it would totally fall out. He had been planning to do it after he and Kirstin got settled… But things hadn't really gone as planned. He got out of the car and walked to a nearby diner.

"Do you have a phone I can use?" Jimmy asked, his words slurring a tiny bit, looking exasperatedly at his dead cell phone. The waitress looked up, pushing the strands of her reddish brown hair that had escaped her ponytail behind her ears, and pointed exasperatedly at a payphone in the corner. Jimmy didn't move right away. She was very pretty, and it wasn't even the alcohol talking.

"You are beautiful," he said, trying to keep his words from slurring. He felt almost embarrassed that he was drunk. She raised her eyebrows at him, still not saying anything.

"Are you drunk?" She asked, finally. Jimmy turned bright red. She pushed him down into a seat and went to get him some coffee.

"Why are you being nice to me?" He asked as the coffee slopped down his shirt, burning his chest, hoping at least some of it was getting into his mouth. The waitress smiled abashedly.

"Well, I'm weak for compliments. What's your name? Do you want me to call anyone for you? Because I'm _not _letting you drive. Taxi, maybe?" She asked, glancing around the deserted diner.

"My names Jimmy Cooper… but no, I have… no one… Just you!" He said drunkenly. "Pretty little you! You are sooo pretty. What's your name, I bet it's pretty!" The waitress was beginning to get tired of this, but she didn't show it.

"I'm Julie." She replied at last, after a few seconds of watching Jimmy slop coffee all over his shirt.

"Julie, when's your shift over? We can go have fun. I'm practically sober. Don't make me make you have fun!" He said, setting down the blue mug. Julie smiled.

"I guess, maybe. I'm actually off now, but I have no where to go, so they let me stay here as long as I lock up" She said, taking away the empty mug and carrying it over to the kitchen.

Jimmy stood up shakily, steadied himself, and walked over to her, grabbing her hand and pulling her along. "Let's go! Let's have fun! Lock up!" Julie smiled and sat him back down, proceeding to lock the windows and the back door and drawing the shades. She knew it was strange to go out with some drunken guy you just met, but Julie could tell he was rich, the Coopers ruled over Newport. Even her, a Riverside girl, knew that. They were second only to the Nichols. So really she sort of knew him.

She shifted through her bag and found her father's sweatshirt, which she had borrowed, and handed it to Jimmy. "You have to change your shirt so I can wash it, otherwise it will be ruined."

Jimmy laughed cockily. "Haha. It doesn't matter. I'm _rich_ you know that? Hey, I'll buy you stuff! He fished out his wallet and pulled out a fifty-dollar bill and handed it to her. "Take it! I'm _rich_." Julie laughed, but took the money. She was desperate enough to take advantage of a drunken rich kid. But still she insisted to washing his shirt- she hated the smell of coffee.

Once again he refused, and she ended up tugging it off. They laughed for a moment, both very aware of the closeness of their bodies and their faces. Slowly he kissed her, and she let him.


End file.
